For moderate goods at bargain prices try Century 21 - but be aware that at lunch hour it can be absolutely packed.

There's a Century 21 now on the upper west side near Lincoln Center. It's not as large as the one downtown in the financial district, but also not as chaotic or as jumbled. But I have better luck with handbags at TJ Maxx. DSW is a shoe discount dept store at Union Square (14th st where Broadway & Fifth ave cross) that also carries bags and there's also a Nordstrom Rack at Union Square. Loehmann's is another discount store that can be good for accessories. There's one on the uws and another on 17th st & 7th ave., not too far from DSW.

There's not one dept store that I'd pick for both bags and shoes given your budget. Lord & Taylor carries a decent assortment of moderatley priced bags, but I don,t have much luck with shoes there. I tend to wait for sales at the higher end stores like Saks.

There's a chain of very low priced accessory stores called Laila Rowe for costume jewelry, occasionally scarves, rain boots, hair accessories, hats etc. I find great things at the one on 3rd ave & 61 st. near Bloomingdales.

If you are on a beer budget, I highly doubt there's anything you can buy in NYC that you couldn't buy at home or at worst on Ebay. If you have limited time, then this is just not something worth your time unless you want to take a full day and go to Woodbury Common, which has lots of very upscale designer outlets (including Prada [called Space], one of the few in the U.S., and LV). Now there you could probably get something nice that you might be able to afford and couldn't find easily at home. But in truth if all you can afford is a Coach bag at an outlet, you can find that almost anywhere, including Amazon.

Hit SUBMIT too soon ... sorry. But a quick visit to Century 21 might yield something. And it's really your only choice for upscale designer goods at discount prices in NYC unless you happen to be here during the Barney's Warehouse Sale, which continues through September 3 (though even that now has a web site).

Also ... have you ever seen the shopping site: ny.racked.com?

The Loehmann's in Chelsea has some very good deals on designer handbags. 7th Ave. btwn W. 16th and W 17th.

Personally, I'd walk through Soho and look at some of the smaller boutique stores there also. There are some really unique accessories in those little boutiques, and I have found that many are reasonably priced.

Hit Daffy's anytime you see one around the City, different stores have different merchandise. The biggest store is at 34th St across from Macy's.

I bought a BEAUTIFUL leather 3/4 jacket, buttersoft leather, last fall for $60. Also if you register at their website you will get a coupon for a discount on your first purchase.

Marshall's is also a good place to find bags, and there are also several around Manhattan now, probably a good stop would be 18th St.

For the beer budget, for casual clothing, you can't beat Conway, jeans, $10 tees $5 (where I get ALL my casual stuff).

Check NY Mag for sample sales, sometimes you can get great deals.

Hope this helps and have a GREAT time while you are here.

Also, if you are buying something over $250 at Loehmann's, it is worth it to get there Gold Card, which gives you a 10% discount. The card costs $25, and you can get it in the store at any register.

Daffy's is liquidating and going out of business, so there may or may not be anything there. There's certainly nothing new coming in.

I'm just not a fan of Loehmann's anymore. It's too much like TJ Max, which can be found anywhere.

I don't agree that you can find the same things in your home town. Different branches of a store get different merchandise. Although I dont know where you live, the merchandise is different in different locations I also dont know your age which can certainly affect the recos nor do I know whether a beer budget for a bag is $30, $60 or $100 (or more). I've seen some great stylish bags in fake leather at smaller stores like Strawberry. I agree that walking around Soho and checking the small stores there is a good idea.

Sorry I didnt give you more information. Hope this helps.

I am 55 and like classic styles with a modern look. I might be a Nana but a trendy Nana. We are visiting from Australia so almost all shops will be new for me. I dont like to buy bags online as I am very choosy and like to touch and smell the leather and see how the handles feel before I buy. I am hoping I might pick up a nice one reduced to around $200. Then again I may find a cheap tote that is unusual,costs $30 and calls at me from the shelf "pick me pick me"

Is TJMax a type of Walmart(Kmart here) or Target? What is the difference between Sak's, Macy's and Bloomingdales etc. If I go past one I will probably pop in just to see what they are like.

A shame about Daffys, that jacket for $60 sounds a great find.

Doug, thank you for your posts and the link. I am going to make a coffee and have a look at it shortly.

You have all been so helpful. I have some names to look out for now.

Thank you all so much.

TJ Maxx is not like Walmart or KMart (which are actually two different chains that both exist here) or Target. It's a discount store where you can find overstock and the like for very good prices. It's best if you know brands. I have a friend who is fairly affluent and shops there A LOT, which she says she can do successfully because she "knows brands". Walmart, KMart and Target are just huge variety stores with lower-priced merchandise. If they have something that is also sold at Macy's, it's the same price, so they're not discount stores in that sense. Of the three, Target has the most stylish merchandise.

Saks, Macys and Bloomingdales are all department stores, selling mostly fashion and accessories (also furniture and housewares, in the case of Bloomingdales and Macys). They're at different "levels". Macys would be the most "pedestrian", but it's enormous. Bloomingdales is also enormous and a more pleasant shopping experience, with merchandise at all price levels starting from middle on up (whereas I'd call what Macys sells, "lower middle on up", with the top being lower than the top of what is sold at Bloomingdales and Saks). Saks is mostly very upscale.

Others are Lord & Taylor (moderate and a little up - like Bloomies) and Barney's and Bergdorf's - more in the Saks category - plus all of the actual designer shops up Madison Avenue.

At a discounter you might get a really great deal on a $500 bag for $200 - so in the Coach or sort of similar range. Obviously real designers are many times that.

All those stores have websites where you can see whatbthey carry.

I'm not sure if you mentioned when you'll be in NY. There is a huge Andrew Marc sale every November where you can get very good quality leather jackets for men and women at a fraction of their retail price.

You will get far better value in NYC than you will anywhere here in Aust. NYC is a shoppers paradise for us and significantly cheaper. As for dept stores - Macys equivalent to Myer, Bloomingdales equivalent to DJs, Lord and Taylor like DJs too and Saks - seriously up market but worth a look. I find Lord and Taylor shoe dept just fantastic and always find something - Anne Klein heels for $40, Calvin Klein heels for $60. The dept stores have a good range of accessories and I would be very surprised if you couldn't find a nice bag. If you use an American brand of makeup/skincare it will be less than half price. For us everything is cheaper. You will have a ball.

For one stop shopping with the greatest selection, your best bet for accessories at a discount is Century 21. I always stop in there when I am downtown and never leave without something.

They also have seasonal clothing - suits, coats, leather jackets, great lingerie, etc.

It opens at 7:45 on weekdays and the earlier you go the better, b/c it can get very zoo-like at peak hours.

Bayside thanks for the US - Aussie comparison. That helps a lot.

panecott I have joined Century 21 for daily updates on sale items. It has given me an idea of what they stock.

Centralparkgirl I will be there in October so will miss that sale.

To everyone else thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. I have been checking out websites and found some I will definately look for.

I cant wait to explore.

Cheers.